Last night, Jason and I had a double-date at a Mandolin in Raleigh. This restaurant has been on my must-try list since it opened in 2011. It’s in a part of town we don’t get to much so on those nights when we’re wandering downtown looking for a place we can agree on, Mandolin doesn’t immediately come to mind. It’s a farm-to-table Southern eatery, which was immediately appealing to me, being as my stomach growls for all food Southern. As expected, the prices are on the higher side because of their use of local and fresh ingredients, especially meat. There were a lot of amazing options to chose from but I ultimately ended up with Chicken and Dumplings, one of my top three Southern dishes.

Recently, I read about a cookbook for snacks, Snack Girl to the Rescue. Upon further research I stumbled upon Lisa Cain’s Snack Girl blog which I have been spending far too much time browsing. Cain features recipes for snacks that are healthy, wholesome, and simple. I also really like the means by which you can refine your search for recipes on her page: